1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery terminal mounted to the electrode (battery post) of a battery installed mainly in a motor vehicle and, more particularly, to a battery terminal in which the vertically-applied tightening force is converted to a horizontal force for securely clamping the battery terminal to the battery post. And this battery terminal is forcibly separated from the battery post by loosening the tightening bolt and is easily removed from the battery post.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With a conventional battery terminal for use mainly in a motor vehicle, an annular terminal fitting is fit over the battery post projecting from the battery, and the base part continuous to the free end of the terminal fitting is clamped using a bolt and nut tightened by an impact wrench or other tightening tool from the horizontal direction.
The engine compartments of recent vehicles, however, are crowded with a growing number of components installed in a confined space. This makes it difficult to adequately tighten the terminal fitting by applying a horizontal force because of interference by other engine compartment components with the tools. It is even possible for the impact wrench to contact the negative terminal while tightening the positive terminal fitting, causing an electrical short which, in a worst-case scenario, could cause an engine compartment fire.
In FIGS. 15A, 15B, 15C, and 15D, a conventional battery terminal which is proposed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. H4-9736 published Mar. 11, 1993 to resolve these problems is shown. As best shown in FIG. 15B, the battery terminal P1 comprises a terminal 3 with a base 3b and a clamping member 3c positioned in mutual opposition and forming tapers widening toward the bottom, and providing a tightening member 5 bridging the base 3b and clamping member 3c with a similar tapered shape having the wide side to the bottom. A through-bolt 4 is tightened from above to tighten the base 3b and clamping member 3c by the tightening member 5, thus causing the terminal fitting 3a to securely hold at a post 2 of the battery 1, as shown in FIG. 15C.
However, when the battery terminal P1 is connected to the battery post 2, the spring in the base 3b and clamping member 3c deteriorates over time because the bolt 4 is tightened to deform and compress the base 3b and clamping member 3c by means of the tightening member 5. Thus, when replacing the battery 1, the base 3b and clamping member 3c do not return to the original position even when the bolt 4 is loosened, as shown in FIG. 15D. The terminal clamp 3a continuous to the base 3b and clamping member 3c does not spread open, and removal of the battery terminal P1 from the battery post 2 is difficult.
Furthermore with this conventional battery terminal P1, however the tightening force of the bolt spreads to the outside because both sides of the tightening member spread out to the bottom, the tightening member sides 5a and 5b cannot apply sufficient tightening force on the base 3b and clamping member 3c toward the inside, and as a result the terminal fitting 3a cannot be positively clamped to the battery post 2.
In FIGS. 16A and 16B, another battery terminal is shown which is disclosed in Japanese utility model application H4-38304 (not yet published) and assigned to the same assignee as the present application.
This battery terminal P2 comprises a terminal 3' with a cable connector 3e', terminal fitting member 3a', and base member 3b', curving and positioning in opposition one end of each of the top and bottom base members, which are approximately identical in shape. Pairs of right clamping members 3c'-1 and 3c'3 and left clamping members 3c'-2 and 3c'-4 are provided continuous to each free end of the pair of top and bottom annular terminal fitting members 3a', with 3c'-1 and 3c'-3 connected by curved member 3c'-5 and 3c'-2 and 3c'-4 connected by 3c'-6.
The tightening tool 5' that is the tightening member has an inverted U-shaped cross section on both sides of which is provided a notched member 5e' with tapered surfaces 5a', 5b', and 5c', 5d' in opposition on right and left sides and provided in two steps with the tapers widening toward the bottom.
A nut 6 is provided at the center of the base member 3b', which is formed by the top and bottom pair and right and left pairs of tightening members, of the terminal 3', i.e., between the top and bottom tightening members, and the outside surfaces of the clamping members 3c'-1 and 3c'-3 contact the tapered surfaces 5a', 5b' of the tightening tool 5', and the outside surfaces of the clamping members 3c'-2 and 3c'-4 contact the tapered surfaces 5e', 5d'.
By threading the bolt 4 into the nut 6 through the bolt hole 5f' of the tightening tool 5' in this state, the tightening tool 5' is lowered, and the clamping members 3c'-1 to 3c'-4 are pressed along the tapered surfaces in the horizontal direction and brought closer together. Thus, the free ends of the terminal fitting connected to the clamping members move in the closing direction, and the terminal 3' is clamped tightly against battery post 2.
Normally, as shown in FIG. 16A, the battery post 2 is secured to the top of the battery 1 with a flange 2a. Thus, when the terminal 3' of the battery terminal P2 is connected to the post 2, the lower terminal fitting contacts the top of the flange 2a, and a gap S results between the top of the battery 1 and the bottom clamping members 3c'-3 and 3c'-4, which are on approximately the same plane as the lower terminal fitting.
If the bottom surfaces of the bottom clamping members 3c'-3 and 3c'-4 are not supported and there is a gap S as described above, there will be insufficient strength to withstand the vertical force when tightening the bolt 4. Thus, when the tightening tool 5' is lowered by the bolt 4, bottom clamping members 3c'-3 and 3c'-4 do not move horizontally due to the tapered surfaces 5b' and 5d' of the tightening tool 5', and the tightening tool 5' can therefore move easily down in the direction of arrow X2.
It is to be noted that the top clamping members 3c'-1 and 3c'-2 do not descend and move horizontally closer due to tapered surfaces 7a' and 7c' because the bottom surfaces thereof are positioned at the top surface of the nut 6.
If the bottom clamping members do not move horizontally closer together as described above, the bottom free ends of the connected terminal fitting are not clamped, and the terminal 3' is not sufficiently pressed against the post 2.